Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen says his board have done everything possible to help the team win their Premiership survival fight.
United this week announced a profit of almost £4 million for last season, when the sales of Andy Robertson, Ryan Gauld, Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven helped them override a £800,000 operating loss and cut their debt.
United have continued to trade this season, selling Nadir Ciftci, Ryan McGowan and John Souttar for a combined total of about £2 million.
But they sit 11 points adrift at the foot of the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Ross County.
However, Paatelainen, who has signed seven players since taking over in October, believes their strategy is correct.
“Money is everything to a football club,” he said. “If there’s no money, there’s no club. That comes before everything. Of course we want to manage the money well.
“How much the board of directors have invested in players this season has been huge. It has been put back to the team. They have supported us and given back everything they can, to give us the best chance to survive.”
The Finn added: “It’s great that the club has made profit. We all know how quickly money is spent in football as well, and it is an expensive business. For a club our size, I think it’s only natural and very important that the club looks to sell players to make revenue and survive.
“That’s why we put a lot of emphasis on youth coaching, making sure we do everything to develop our own youngsters to make the first team.
“It is expensive to bring in players. If you produce young players and they make the first team and you sell them on it’s a healthy recipe.
“Dundee United is known for developing youngsters and selling them on but Dundee United is not the only club. Every club tries to do that.
“Dundee United has been very successful in doing that and hopefully that carries on, because that means we produce quality youngsters who are beneficial for the team.”